A blog about working in and living in Chicago as an Orthodox single guy over 30.

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Bnei Akiva part ii

The other thing that Bnei Akiva does that other Orthodox organizations don't is promote Am Yisrael, BiTorat Yisrael. NCSY is a good organization, however, the point of joining it is to make non-religious people religious or marginally religious people more religious. Being a Zionist or recognizing that the ultimate goal which is the Jews in Israel with a government that is governed by Jewish Law (aka Halacha) is not as spreadable a message.

Bnei Akiva's mission, which is much harder, is to make religious kids want to live in Israel, or at least study in Israel after High School. They are targeting a much smaller audience. There are tons of kids who go to public school like New Trier (Chicago), Buffalo Grove, Mercer Island (Seattle suburb) and not as many who grew up Modern Orthodox.

The Modern Orthodox world isn't as big and going into Rabbanut isn't pushed as strongly as in the more Yeshivish world, with whatever delineations one wishes to make.

Anyway, my sense is that the majority of "single women" available in the Orthodox world, are more aligned with the Yeshivish elements rather than the Modern Orthodox/Bnei Akiva/Torah Mitzion. The reason is that most of them are Baalei Teshuva who became religious through institutions such as CTN (Chicago institution), Aish HaTorah, Ohr Sameach, a Kollel and other places. I won't get into those who became religious through Chabad, because that's a separate question and Chabad people tend to stick to themselves rather than associate with the other "Black Hatters" or frum people.

While a baal teshuva could make aliyah, he or she would do it for different reasons than someone from the Bnei Akiva background.

Perhaps I will have to align myself with those whom I want to rather than those who I live near out of convenience.